Shooting spree arrest stirs up painful memories for Crete father

Suspect in shootings was found guilty of speeding in a crash that killed teen in '06

After learning Brian Dorian was charged with murder in last week's random shootings in Illinois and Indiana, Ken Drapeau said Saturday that painful memories came flooding back from a 2006 car crash that killed his son when Dorian's pickup truck slammed into the teenager's car.

Dorian, 37, a Lynwood police officer on disability, had come under investigation for the crash that killed Dylan Drapeau, 17, a senior at Crete- Monee High School. In 2008, Dorian was charged with driving at least 83 mph — nearly 30 miles over the speed limit — when he hit a Ford Focus driven by the younger Drapeau on Illinois Highway 394, near Richton Road in Crete.

Ken Drapeau, of Crete, had pushed unsuccessfully for Dorian to be charged with reckless homicide.

"We grieve for the families of the recent victims and will be there for them through these hard times," Drapeau said in a statement Saturday. "There is no worse feeling than losing someone, especially in injustice."

The Lynwood police officer was arrested Friday in connection with the shooting of three people, one fatally, along the Illinois-Indiana border earlier last week. He has been charged with first-degree murder in the death of Rolando Alonso, 45. But prosecutors in Will County and Lake County, Ind. said they expect more charges to be filed in connection with shootings that seriously injured two other men.

After his son's death, Drapeau sought to win tougher charges against Dorian in the car crash.

Will County prosecutors — finding no traces of alcohol or drugs — said they were limited to speeding charges.

"Speeding alone does not constitute reckless homicide," prosecutor Gregory DeBord said at the time.

Even so, the Drapeau family hired a crash-reconstruction consultant, who said the force of the impact indicated Dorian was traveling much faster — between 100 mph and 120 mph, according to Ken Drapeau.

In June 2009, the speeding charge against Dorian resulted in a 12-month suspended sentence and 200 hours of community service. Court records show that Dorian performed the final 37 hours of community service by doing work for the Crete Main Street Association.

A civil lawsuit filed by the Drapeaus against Dorian was settled in September 2008 for $300,000, the maximum payout of Dorian's insurance coverage, according to the family's attorney, Nicholas J. Motherway.

Dennis Sullivan is a freelance reporter and Christy Gutowski is a Tribune reporter.